Inevitably Arsene Wenger was asked to comment on speculation about his future, and criticism in the wake of the Bayern game, when he faced the media on Friday morning.
Read on for some of the stand-out quotes from the manager’s press conference:
on whether some of the stuff he reads or hears annoys him…
No, because I am used to it. I am here for 20 years and I think in life it is important that you do what you think is right. All the rest of it is judgement and I am in a public job and I have to accept that. I have to behave with my values and with the way that I see my job and accept that everybody can have an opinion on it.
on whether he said he will decide his future in March or April…
Yes.
on his future…
At the moment we have other priorities. My personal [future] as I said many times is not important. It’s Arsenal Football Club and the future of our team and what we can achieve until the end of the season, that is important.
on whether he ever feels like he’s had enough…
No. No matter what I happens, I will manage next season, whether it’s here or somewhere else. That’s absolutely for sure. On a night like that [against Bayern], of course I hate defeat and I hate to lose games. I want to do extremely well for this club and I feel a big responsibility. You do not stay somewhere for 20 years to then walk out after a defeat like that.
It is difficult to take, but I have the strength and experience to respond to that. I would just like to add as well that we played against a good Bayern team who have won this competition [recently], and who have 11 top-class players. We have to give credit to our opponents as well sometimes. It’s important to put things into perspective in this competition, and they are top-class players.
on whether speculation over his future is unhelpful for the club…
I think we have to focus on real problems. The real problems are the way we play football and not my future. The priority is how we respond to a defeat and how we will play together. That’s what it is to be professional. It’s always important not to look for the wrong excuses in life, and to focus on what is important, what you can influence and what is your job.
on supporters’ feelings…
That is an eternal debate when you are somewhere for a long time and you have a big disappointment. Even if I go, Arsenal will not win every single game in the future, that is part of it, you have to accept that as much as it hurts to lose games.
I think what is important is that the club makes the right decision for the future. I do not work here for 20 years not to care about this club, because I had many opportunities to go somewhere else during that period and I care about this club and I care about its future. It is very important that the club is always in safe hands.
on if something has gone wrong…
As long as you do not win absolutely everything there is always something wrong and you have to accept that because you want always to go to the next level. On the other hand, in the last 20 years in Europe only three clubs have managed to play every year in the Champions League and that is Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid and nobody else. That means if everything is not perfect, not all is wrong.
More quizzes coming soon!
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